Georgian Independent TV Channels: Presentation of Pre-Election Race

Abstract

The purpose of the article is the identification of the mechanism of media influence on the electoral process in a polarized political system with two dominant centers of power. The results presented in the article contribute to the improvement of media competence among the audience of Georgian socio-political TV-programs. The problematic situation in the media space of Georgia relates to the two equally strong trends — on one hand, Georgia follows the course of democratic transformations in the context of mediatization of politics (strategy), on the other hand, the procedural factors of democratization are focused on the media, which destabilize public opinion in the context of the politicization of social processes (tactics). The authors applied a qualitative and quantitative analysis to the audiovisual materials of the most high-rated Georgian TV channels. 2337 publications of the 2020-election campaign period were studied. The research results of the pre-election race media content suggest trends of democratization. Thus, the cluster of TV channels Mtavari Arkhi and Rustavi 2 is an indicator of the struggle of key political forces in the country. At the same time, the authors have identified differences in the information policy of the TV channels. The features of the latest Georgia election campaign in studies have become especially relevant in the context of the political crisis in Georgia in 2023.